


close enough to start a war

by mind_boggling



Series: but i was here from the very start [2]
Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 18:17:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12917523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mind_boggling/pseuds/mind_boggling
Summary: “Alright, listen up little Liebermans” Frank stood from the couch, pulling his shirt down as it rose up from where he was sandwiched between the two of them. Both of them focused on other things, he wondered if any of it would even go in. “I promise to let you have any of what your mom just said you couldn’t have if you guys don’t tell them that Karen is coming. You guys remember Karen, right?”“Your girlfriend” Zach replied, not taking his eyes off the screen.“Yes- wait,what?No, who said that? Who told you that?” Frank asked quickly, a frown stamped across his forehead. His heart quickened at the mere thought of it, and he swallowed quickly to ease his sudden nerves. They’d gained a stable relationship since the disaster of Thanksgiving, and both agreed to keep it merely mutual.“Dad did” Zach said, monotonously.And David was out here ruining it.





	close enough to start a war

**Author's Note:**

> that time where frank gets stuck babysitting zach and leo whilst david and sarah are celebrating their anniversary and he enlists karen’s help

**Recipients: You, Karen Page**

**You:** You gotta help me.

 **Karen Page:** Role reversal. What’s up?

 **You:** I drunkenly offered to babysit Lieberman’s kids tonight. Anniversary meal, or something like that. 

**Karen Page:** Oh, my god.

 **Karen Page:** You, Zach and Leo?

 **You:** It’s not funny, Karen.

 **Karen Page:** It’s kind of funny.

 **You:** Will you help me or not?

 **Karen Page:** Send me the time and address and I’ll be there. x

—

“No food after eight, no video games after nine, no scary movies; that goes for you, Frank, and definitely no candy or biscuits. Their dinner is in the fridge, their pyjamas are in the laundry pile in the airing cupboard, in bed by ten, got it?” 

Sarah was bossy at the best of times, and Frank sitting on their couch in the middle of Zach playing a video game and Leo trying to read a book, he was at the full front of it. He nodded along at all of her requests, forgetting most of them, knowing he was going to do a horrible job at this. 

“We’ll be home by midnight, latest” Sarah said, adjusting her earring in the mirror at the foot of the stairs. David made his entrance, walking down the stairs at top speed without trousers on as he rescued them from the laundry. 

“Thanks for doing this, Frankie boy” he said, ruffling Frank’s hair as he entered the living room, now fully clothed.

“Get your hands off me, especially when they’ve been by your balls” Frank grumbled in response, only causing Zach to laugh as he played along to his video game. 

“You guys gonna be good for Uncle Frank, huh?” David said, walking around the front of the couch, kissing Leo on the head. She leaned up, bringing her book with her so she could continue reading as she said goodbye. He kissed Zach’s forehead, causing him to groan as he stood in the way of the TV screen. “No messing him around otherwise there will be consequences alright? And Uncle Frank won’t be allowed to come over again”

“Don’t call me that” Frank groaned in response. “Please”

“Leo, you call me if anything happens, alright, baby?” Sarah said, looking toward where she was sitting. 

Frank sighed, shutting his eyes. “Glad to know you have faith in me, Sarah” He replied, trying to convince himself more than anyone that they’d be okay.

“But do you have faith in yourself, Frank?” Sarah asked jokingly. “Keep my kids alive, please. Thank you”

She exited the house, David only laughing as he followed her. Before he shut the door, “See you later, Uncle Frank”

“Alright, listen up little Liebermans” Frank stood from the couch, pulling his shirt down as it rose up from where he was sandwiched between the two of them. Both of them focused on other things, he wondered if any of it would even go in. “I promise to let you have any of what your mom just said you couldn’t have if you guys don’t tell them that Karen is coming. You guys remember Karen, right?” 

“Your girlfriend” Zach replied, not taking his eyes off the screen.

“Yes- wait, _what_? _No_ , who said that? Who told you that?” Frank asked quickly, a frown stamped across his forehead. His heart quickened at the mere thought of it, and he swallowed quickly to ease his sudden nerves. They’d gained a stable relationship since the disaster of Thanksgiving, and both agreed to keep it merely mutual.

“Dad did” Zach said, monotonously.

And David was out here ruining it.

“Of course he did” Frank replied, his voice wavering which wasn’t a good sign. “She’s not my girlfriend, alright buddy?” 

“Okay, but Dad said you give her flowers?” Zach said in response, eyes still glued to the screen completely. Frank’s blood boiled and he walked over to the TV, turning it off quickly. “Hey! I was playing that!”

“And you’ll get it back on when you listen to what I have to say, alright?” Frank snapped, before shook his head, waving his arms around wildly. “Listen, just because I I bought Karen flowers does not mean she is my girlfriend. I bought your mother flowers the other week, don’t you remember that? Huh?”

Both of them had the exact same expression on their faces was more than horrified. “You have a crush on mom?” Zach shouted.

“ _What_? Of course not!” Frank replied, agitatedly. Almost in his luck, the doorbell rang on cue. Sighing, he headed away from the kids and towards the door. Opening it, she stood on the doorstep with a bag on her shoulder and a pile of movies in her hand.

“Hi,” She said, a smile on her face. “I bought movies and popcorn”

Every time he saw her, he wondered why he didn’t do it more. The swelling inside his chest when she looked him in the eye was satisfying, and all he could do was smile back. 

—

“Alright Leo, you pick a movie and I’ll go get the popcorn, sound good?” 

Frank stood at the sink whilst the faucet ran cold over his hands as Karen entered the kitchen. The kids were talking loudly to each other in the next room and so the conversation between them wouldn’t be heard. He somehow dreaded every conversation with her that wasn’t over a screen; the awkward silences couldn’t be filled with excuse after excuse.

“Is the popcorn almost done?” Karen asked, heading over towards the microwave. Frank turned around from the sink before nodding. 

“Should be,” he replied, turning the faucet off and grabbing a hand towel to dry off. “Listen, Karen, I never said thank you for-“

“No need,” she replied, a smile on her face. Frank’s grip on the hand towel tightened as she looked at him, the small dimples in her cheeks in the way her smile formed being the only thing he noticed. “They’re good kids. I like spending time with them”

He could only nod. _I like spending time with you_ , is what he would have said, but it was the wrong time, the wrong place, and he knew she’d have something to say about it. “Yeah David and Sarah did a good job, didn’t they?”

“Sure did” She replied, opening the door to the microwave as it sounded and the popcorn settled in the bowl. “Also just so we’re clear, Zach asked me if I was your girlfriend” 

“He did? He did. Oh, okay, uh- I” Frank sighed deeply, shaking his head as he could feel his cheeks growing a deep shade of crimson. “It’s David. Making shit up, he asked me the same thing when I told him you were coming”

“Right” Karen responded, almost awkwardly. Luckily, she laughed a little, and some of the tension was relieved. “I mean, we agreed that after the whole Senator Ori thing in the ele-”

“It never happened” He replied curtly. A nod, avoiding her eyes at all costs. “Gotcha”

Karen smiled like it meant nothing at all. “Come on, movie’s about to start”

—

Frank excused himself from the movie just as it finished, heading into the airing cupboard and fishing the kids’ pyjamas from the pile. As he shut the door behind him, he heard the two of them run into the kitchen with Karen following.

“You guys want some juice before bed?” She asked, her voice becoming louder as the three of them got closer towards him.

“Yes, please” Leo responded just as Frank entered the kitchen with their pyjamas. Karen was pouring juice from the carton into the two glasses before handing them to both of the kids. 

“Alright straight up to bed,” Frank said, handing each of them in turn their pyjamas, ruffling Zach’s hair and smiling at Leo. “Your mom and dad will be home soon and we let you stay up way later than they said you should” 

“We won’t tell” Zach responded, having drunk all of the juice in his glass already, placing it on the counter where Karen was stood. 

“You better not” Frank replied, winking at him as he disappeared out of the kitchen and off towards the stairs. Leo stayed with the two of them whilst she finished her juice before washing her glass in the sink. Frank just smiled, looking toward Karen who was watching with beaming happiness. “Attagirl, Leo, goodnight sweetheart”

“Goodnight” she said, a smile on her face as she collected her pyjamas in her arms. She hugged Karen around the waist tightly before walking up to him. “Uncle Frank?”

He hated the nickname, but she was allowed to use it. The one exception. “Yeah?”

Attempting to whisper, Leo leaned closer towards him. “Your girlfriend is very pretty” 

Frank just smiled. It was the only thing in that moment he could do, the only thing he seemed to know how to do. “I know, right?” Leo’s giggle was unmissable as she hugged Frank and left the room with her pyjamas. She turned the light off before heading up the stairs. As the door at the top of them shut, Frank sighed. “There it is again huh-“

“You think I’m pretty?” Karen asked, almost instantly. Her face was serious, but Frank could almost detect a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

His silence was unnerving to himself more than her, and he blurted the only thing that was on his mind. Subconsciously, he found himself moving across the kitchen towards her, closing the distance between them. She was almost frozen on the spot. “I’d be a fool if I didn’t”

That smile fought its way to the surface, Karen’s eyes wandering everywhere but his own. The distance between them was shortening, and once their bodies pressed together, her hand was on his arm, just above the shrapnel wound and his eyes on her lips.

_Go. Go on._

“Frank,” she breathed lightly, a small bite of her lip as their foreheads touched one another once again, so much deja vu hitting him in that one moment that the world around them came crashing down once again for a split second. His body pulsated with pain, psychological, in his mind, as he was transported back there.

_Take care._

But instead of the brief kiss they shared in that tiny elevator hanging in a broken world, his hands were in her hair and her body was on his and their lips were together like they’d never been apart.

**Author's Note:**

>  **title:** song lyrics from ' _turning tables_ ' by _adele_
> 
> find me elsewhere:
> 
>  **twitter:** vanlangs  
>  **tumblr:** bisexualieberman


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